Saturday, September 29, 2012

I try to do a bit less on weekends like the rest of the population, but of course some farm work won't let you wait.
Such it is with my newly seeded hoophouses.
Today called for numerous waterings after the chores were done, and the laundry hung. No dryer at all here, so I was glad to see the sun out for a while.

All the greens planted in the first hoophouse last Saturday are up, save for the chard. I'll give it a few more days, then replant.
Today was walnut pick-up day. My two English (aka Carpathian or Persian) trees shed their leaves early because of the drought but the nuts are coming down on time.
This time of year it's dodge the nuts which are coming down right over my veg wash station.
No matter. They are great to have. I love the fact I have nuts and a great protein source. Plus they are yummy.
I love making walnut butter out of them.
People phoning in orders today, people stopping by to pick up veg.
Yup, there's lots. Still a pretty full garden people say to me when they arrive.

Then there is the whacked part of this story.
It hasn't been a great car month. Or week for that matter.
When I looked at my car Monday night, the night before my deliveries I noted a flat tire.
How fortunate was I to be driven around on Tuesday with all my veggies for the drop-offs.
When I went to start my car Wednesday to take it to get the slow leak fixed, it wouldn't start.
I did get it started and it has been fine since. Until today when I was driving through Dunnville on my way to Cayuga to look at new cars.
It started making a loud noise and I pulled into a convenience store to have a peek underneath.
As I reversed out of the parking spot, backed out behind the truck next to me...well let's just say that's where the "whack" came in. Another car backed right into me.

A short break in writing this...police visit. I can just imagine what my neighbours will have to say tomorrow.

Friday, September 28, 2012

I'm on a roll!
Two days two blog posts in, things are looking good, although I will tell you I think I would possibly prefer to have my eyes closed right now.
My wonderful daughter Emily whose summer job is working at Chippawa Creek Conservation Area just down the road brought the two pictured above home midway through August.
Mama-less.
Their feral mom had been spooked by a storm and they were alone and young ( and wonderful).
Okay. So I didn't want to add to my menagerie, but they crept into my heart and she went back to school and they stayed here.
Last night they danced on my tummy. Sleep interrupted.

Everyday here we have our routines. Mollie catches her bus, I look after my crew (pig, rabbit, chickens, ducks, cats, dogs), then out we four, the dogs and I, go for our walk.

My dogs rock.
It is the best way to start the day.
Today, as most days, it was straight to work when we finished our route.
If you don't know, my livelihood is farming and I grow and sell produce year round, thanks to 3 unheated hoophouses.
My CSA program is just entering into the fall/winter session for 15 more weeks.
I know there will be lots outside for a good while yet, but I need to plant in my hoophouses now, so my crops are mature before the days are too short and the temperatures too cold for growth.

I've had my tiller for about 15 years now, and it is all I used to till my many acres for the first 10 years or so. It's a great machine and today it worked hard for me.

The hoophouses are very dry, as they weren't planted this summer, hence not watered either.

It was a dusty job.

But I got it done.

Today I planted more than 30 different things. Many, many mustards such as mibuna, various mizunas,

cresses, orach, spinaches, salad burnet, lettuces and loads of things most people haven't heard of. The chard in the above picture survived the summer drought in my hoophouse, unwatered and with a steady watering now is looking magnificent. Love it. Insta-veg!

After I tilled the composted soil, I drew rough beds and raked them to a fine and level finish.

Most of my seeding was done by broadcasting, essentially scattering the seed over the created beds.

The exceptions were several varieties of oriental radishes and some lovely red turnips. Those I seeded in rows so I can keep track of how far apart they are seeded.

A wonderful watering, over and over again and I should see action soon.

I know for sure I'll see a very full greenhouse because I know that some of last years crops will have self seeded and will be off to the races too with a good deep watering.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

I'm going to try a very brave thing.
I'm going to try to blog daily about my farming activities for the next thirty days.
I may succeed. I may not.
It's a busy time here and an interesting time too.
I'm harvesting, planting, saving seed and getting ready for the next change of season.
You know...winter.

This first post will cover yesterday and today.

All seeded-mustards, arugula, brassicas, chinese greens

Arugula planted 4 days ago is up in my unheated hoop house

Volunteer kale plants for the hoop house

...and a tomato

Garlic and Egyptian Onions planted for winter greens

Chives and sorrel provide tasty winter treats

Yesterday was a great day in the hoop house because it was cloudy all day and it gave me the opportunity to search for garden volunteers to plant inside.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

I love fall days like today.
Warm weather, sun shining but still definitely fall.

For me fall seems to move a little bit slower. There is still lots to do, no question.
One hoop house is planted for the winter, but I still have two to go. Tomorrow's job.

The winter rye cover crop is up nicely on one of the back fields, and I planted the Groundhog radishes tonight which are a cover crop as well.

I've got a beautifully tilled area for my garlic. Next years garlic crop is planted now, and I am experimenting with lots of different varieties next year. Likely no surprise at all to people that know me.

Next year's big crops will be tomatoes, peppers, garlic, basil and runner beans. Oh...likely a few more things too.

I've got to get my special basils potted up and "un-harden" them off to bring them indoors for the winter. They will provide cuttings for next years plants.

There's also still lots of food to harvest, and happily no frost in the 14 day forecast. I sure hope they are right!

That means the tomatoes will continue, though they have certainly slowed down. The peppers will carry on as will the tomatillos, ground cherries, and a bunch more things too.

Some crops will just be better after a nice frost. Kales, chards, beets, carrots and I bet the root chicory crop that I grew for Balzacs Coffee roasters.

Busy, but relaxed. Do you know what I mean? Working at my own pace...except Tuesdays. Tuesdays are a rush. CSA day, restaurant and store day.

Next week is the last week of my summer session, and the week after we carry on right into the fall and winter.

Basil alert though! My basil drinking friends, I advise you of a new drink to try. Basil, peach juice and vodka.
And perhaps if the vodka holds no appeal, peach juice and basil would be a great combo too. That's what I'll be trying.

For food? How about this recipe which uses many of the veggies in today's basket.
(From Vegetarian Times)

I would substitute chard for the frozen spinach, leaf celery for the celery and fresh tomatoes for the canned.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Serves 8

This dish freezes well for future meals. Quinoa provides whole-grain goodness and a serving of protein.

1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 ribs celery, finely chopped (½ cup)

1 Tbs. ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

¾ cup quinoa

3 large carrots, grated (1 ½ cups)

1 ½ cups grated reduced-fat pepper Jack cheese, divided

4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.

2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Thanks so much Suzanne. I love growing veggies, but I also love the wonderful people I have met because of what I do.
Suzanne and Mike, her husband are pretty inspiring too. I get great ideas for meals from them. You know like ...improving the basil lemonade by adding bourbon kind of meal!

CSA snobbery; happiness in Niagara

By Suzanne Taylor, locavore and nosy foodie.

Some of you might know me from Tree and Twig's sister blog, Eating Niagara. Occasionally I do write ups on local food products and farms for Tiffany. I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my passion for local eating in this way.

For those of you that don't know me, I'm Suzanne. I work in health care, and when I'm not doing that, my husband, Mike, and I are eating and drinking everything fantastic that can be locally sourced in the Niagara region. We have been members of the Tree and Twig CSA for quite some time.

My husband and I have been enthusiastic locavores for all of our 15 years together, having mostly lived in downtown St. Catharines and being regular farmer's market patrons, but we became devoted to eating exclusively local food as often as possible in about 2007 or so, when the 100 mile diet became big news around that time. We made a commitment to buying as much local food as we possibly could, and thus began our journey to finding all the good stuff.

These days, we don't eat any meat, eggs, bread, fruits or vegetables that aren't locally produced, and we buy many other local products too; wine, honey, grape juice, cheese, jam, even dog cookies. We are committed, passionate local consumers and we are fairly familiar to producers across the Niagara region for this. I can find you just about anything locally grown; including passion fruit, if you ask.

In my journey to the 100 mile diet, I discovered Tree and Twig farm and its wonderful CSA program. I had heard vague rumours of the Wellandport tomato lady since about 2006, but I wasn't even really sure where Wellandport was (in fact, I'm still not all that sure where Wellandport is), and hadn't arsed myself to get out there. But after discovering heirloom tomatoes, I knew I had to find my way to her and get some of her vegetables. I tracked down Linda Crago's number, armed myself with a step-by-step set of directions from Google Maps, and arranged to pick up my first basket.

I got there, after being periodically convinced on the drive that Wellandport was an illusion and did not exist, and Becky and Timmy, the collies of long ago, set up a ruckus. I wasn't even sure I was in the right place, but Linda came out and greeted me and handed me a basket. I handed her my money, and then I took my basket home, and tried to decide what, exactly, she had given me. What was that grass-like stuff? What did you do with all those greens? Was that pepper hot? (The answer to that is almost always yes).

But by 2009 I was well versed in all of Linda's offerings. I learned what saltwort was, what to do with headless cabbage and leaf broccoli, and not to bite into anything purple she gave me. I even spent a day weeding her garden with her, and my muddy feet and mosquito bites taught me a lot about the reality of organic farming.

Unfortunately, my husband and I relocated to Owen Sound in 2010 because of work, and I was quite saddened to lose my weekly Tree and Twig basket. I immediately set about sourcing out a CSA program up north, and indeed found two, which were very good, but it just wasn't the same. It was all good food, but there were no funky-coloured eggplants in my basket, no tomatillos, no scorchingly hot peppers to contend with, no real heirloom vegetables of any kind. Also, tomatoes don't ripen well in the northwestern Ontario climate, and so the CSA growers didn't grow a lot of varieties, and I missed these most of all. I got a piddling little handful of cherry tomatoes at best each week.

In January 2012 life changed for us again and we returned back to Niagara. I was grateful to get back to eating the bounty that is Niagara food. We immediately signed up for Linda's CSA again, for all three seasons, and picked up our first basket in early March.

It was a whole whack of greens, of course, mustards and arugula and chard, but I was well prepared to deal with it, and got my saucepan out, and wilted down that big basket of greens with some butter and chicken broth, which I ate in a single sitting, with melted butter running down my chin.

I stuck my finger into the bottom of the bowl and licked it, and I'm pretty sure I saw the face of God when I did it. He winked at me and I grinned.

It's good to be back here where the food is good and people grow ground cherries. I'm intensely grateful to be here and back visiting Linda and Joey once again. I plan to eat her food for as long as she grows it.

September 20, 2012, Ottawa. The first-ever GM food safety study to test over the entire life span of laboratory rats (2 years) was published yesterday and found serious health impacts from eating Monsanto’s genetically engineered (also called genetically modified or GM) corn NK603, which was approved in Canada in 2001. The peer-reviewed study also tested the impacts of consuming residues of Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup, the widest selling herbicide in the world.

“Health Canada has approved this GM corn and all other GM foods based on corporate tests that were too short to observe the severe health impacts that this study found,” said Lucy Sharratt of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, “Health Canada has never looked past the 90 days of Monsanto’s studies. Canadians have been eating this particular GM corn since 2001.”

The study, published in the scientific journal “Food and Chemical Toxicology,” is the first animal feeding trial conducted over the lifetime of rats (700 days). Health Canada evaluates the safety of GM foods based on industry studies, the longest of which have been 90-day animal feeding trials. The study tested three different diets: GM corn, GM corn with herbicide residue and without.

Monsanto’s GM corn NX603 is herbicide tolerant meaning it is genetically engineered to withstand sprayings of Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup. Health Canada approved it in 2001. French media are reporting that the GM corn samples used in the study were secured from a Canadian university.

The new study observed that rats fed the GM corn, or Roundup, developed tumours faster and died earlier than rats fed non-GM corn. Furthermore, the first tumour was observed after 120 days, with the majority detected after 18 months.

The study shows GM corn can cause severe negative health effects in laboratory rats including mammary tumours and kidney and liver damage, leading to premature death.

· Fed GM corn or Roundup, up to 50% of males and 70% of females died prematurely, compared with only 30% and 20% in the control group.
· Females developed fatal mammary tumours and pituitary disorders. Males suffered liver damage, developed kidney and skin tumours and problems with their digestive system.
· Rats fed GM corn or Roundup developed 2-3 times more tumours.
· By the 24th month, 50% to 80% of the females had developed large tumours compared to 30% in the control group.

“Health Canada must re-evaluate the safety of all GM foods based on these results and halt new approvals until we have long-term testing and transparent regulation. Are Canadians expected to continue eating GM corn?” said Lucy Sharratt, “The federal government needs to redesign the entire system that approves GM foods because our regulations are not designed to look for the types of problems these scientists have found.”

“The safety of GM foods cannot be assumed, it needs to be tested,” said Sharratt, “We cannot rely on science from companies to prove safety. We need to turn to the precautionary principle to keep Canadians safe and this means keeping GM foods off the shelves.”

The government of France is already calling for action in the wake of the study. The relevant ministers in France say that the research confirms that European Union regulations on GM foods are insufficient in regards to the study of toxicological effects.

The study was conducted by a team led by molecular biologist and endocrinologist Professor Gilles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caen in France and was supported by the independent research organization CRIIGEN, the Committee of Research and Independent Information on Genetic Engineering.

-30-

For more information: Lucy Sharratt, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, Temporary cell: 613 263 9511 for September 20-23 (after September 23, 613 241 2267 ext 25) ; coordinator@cban.ca
* The published paper, pictures and further background can be found at http://research.sustainablefoodtrust.org/

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Can you feel it? The summer is coming to an end.
Ooh. Chilly tonight when I closed up the chicken door. I popped their storm window on to keep them warm although I'm sure their feathers do a pretty fine job of that. Love my chickens.
Supposed to dip down to 5 C tonight. I always figure when it gets that low there could be a frost, but I think (and hope and pray) that the heavy cloud cover will take care of that.
I need tomatoes this weekend. I'm involved in a filming with Jon Steinman of Deconstructing Dinner and I'm excited. My segment is on TOMATOES and I'm going to be happy to be working with my friend and chef extraordinaire Mark Picone.
It always amazes me the cool things that come my way, a muck farmer from Hickville. I'm grateful for these opportunities and great experiences. Truly grateful.

Grateful too that I've had a great bunch of folks on board for the summer CSA this year. My sincere thanks for your support. You have no idea how much it means and I hope you have enjoyed the offerings. Some things have done very well, some not in this mostly dry season. We've worked hard.

Two weeks to go, and then the fall commences October 9 for another 15 weeks.

If you have signed up and paid for the fall season, then expect a confirmation email from me in the next week. If you don't get it, please contact me.
I have had someone back out, so can take on one more. Let me know if you are interested (by email).
There will be greens, beets, carrots, herbs, squash and more filling your fall baskets. Did I say greens? Lots of 'em.
Tomorrow I'll plant the winter hoophouses. Mustards, chards, arugula, radishes, kales, chinese greens....so much good stuff.

Todays baskets had lots in them. Lots of summer tastes still.

Lots of tomatoes and sweet and hot peppers, tomatillos, beets, lettuce, radishes, leaf celery, parsley, basil. Likely more too...they were full and heavy.
Do you wonder what to do with those peppers? Here's an idea.
Hot peppers jelly for me was one of those late discoveries. People kept giving it to me as a Christmas gift and I sat all the pretty jars on the pantry shelf to collect dust. Figured I wouldn't like it. But when I finally did try it I realized how wrong I was. I love it!
This is something good too!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

I am tussling with a kitty as I try to write this after a long day. Basil Rathbone is wired for sound.
I play wrestle him with my hand as I gently push him away, giving me the chance to type in a few more words.
A good day.
CSA baskets held lots of goodies, a drop of veggies to Rise Above, a most awesome vegan restaurant in St Catharines, a bounty of produce delivered to the marvellous people at Bamboo Natural Foods in St Catharines, and tonight off to Burlington to speak about extending the growing season, seed saving and heirloom vegetables.
Could this be a short post?
Yes it could. It is past my bedtime right now!

Todays basket held quite a bit. Let's see if I can recall it all...
Peppers both sweet and hot, tomatoes, tomatillos, chicory, parsley, leaf celery, basils, licorice mint, carrots, mini cabbages and a few things just to sample. Cowpea, red malabar spinach. I know there is more but I can't think what.

The mini cabbages are not brussels sprouts, hence Tiffany you too can eat them!
Did you know that after you cut the main head of cabbage from the cabbage plant, your cabbage will produce mini-heads as pictured above. But the plant doesn't stop there. Once you cut the mini-heads, the plant kicks out more. How great does that make cabbage?

Great I say.

Tomatillos and hot peppers can only mean one thing. It's salsa verde time.

I don't put cilantro in mine-can't stand the stuff, so I don't grow it. Sorry if you do, but even cutting it with a knife and inhaling the scent repulses me. Did I say it is gross?

This recipe rocks...except for the cilantro of course. And use any of the hot peppers you wish for a mild or fiery heat.
(from allrecipes.com)

Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe

To cook the tomatillos, you can either roast them in the oven, or boil them. Roasting will deliver more flavor; boiling may be faster and use less energy. Either way works, though boiling is a more common way to cook the tomatillos.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lb tomatillos

1/2 cup chopped white onion

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon sugar

2 Jalapeño peppers OR 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped

Salt to taste

METHOD

1 Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well.

2a Roasting method Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.

2b Boiling method Place tomatillos in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove tomatillos with a slotted spoon.

2 Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, chili peppers, sugar in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.

About Me

I have a BSW degree, and worked as a social worker for quite a few years, before getting out (with most of my sanity intact) to farm.I grew up on a farm and this is what i was meant to do. I have two wonderful daughters, as well as 3 dogs, 6 cats, a pig named Joey, chickens, ducks and a bunny. All are family.